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Thread: Well... looks like I'm out of reloading...

  1. #21
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    Ask that doctor what your lead levels are and don't accept, "High" or "above average". Get an actual number and get it in writing.

    Get a second opinion from another doctor that doesn't know the first doctor and don't tell that second doctor that you have ANY connection to firearms. See what that second opinion is.

  2. #22
    Boolit Buddy

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    Lead is a naturally occurring in soil so lead gets into everything, including your food, epa says leads is 50 ppm or higher occurring in uncontaminated soil so you are consuming lead in small amounts all the time. Do your own research before you decide to give up a hobby that you enjoy.

  3. #23
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    GoodOlBoy,
    If you need anything please let me know. Hate to see someone have to quit something they love just because of a doctors opinion. Where you located at in Deep East Texas? I grew up in Nacodgoches and then moved to North of Dallas after I graduated and I have been here 30 years now. I love East Texas and I really miss it. Spent all of my youth in the Piney Woods hunting in the Angelina River bottom slews or fishing on lake Sam Rayburn. You wouldn't have to twist my arm at all to come help with anything you may need.
    " My people skills are just fine. It's my tolerance for idiots that needs work."

  4. #24
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    Sorry to hear about your health problems. It warms my heart to hear the kind offers of help from our members in Texas!

    If I really loved the hobby I would at least talk to another Doctor. Im just not seeing the dangers of handling reloading components and lead. Wearing rubber gloves when sorting and smelting wheel weights is probably a good idea but the other implied dangers just seem inflated to me. Yeah, I know you paid for this opinion but it sounds like the Doc is overly cautious. Maybe he just doesn't know anything about reloading?

    As far as not getting out alive, I agree. When I retired I started thinning out my stuff. I started at my shop with my electrical inventory and then with some tools that I didn't expect to use. And camping gear and sporting equipment. Then I sold off my belt buckle and knife collections after giving my boys what they wanted. Then I started on the loading room. I got rid of unused or duplicated tools and equipment and tried to organize it better. I extended this organization to my ammo, brass and lead stash. We paid an attorney that specializes in estate planning to draw up a will, powers of attorney, ect ect. My guns and stuff are included in it.

    Sorry for rambling and sorry to hear about your health issues. Good Luck to you.

  5. #25
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    When I have looked at the side effects of lead poisoning cancer has never been mentioned. I would get a second opinion and ask around to see a DR that is a shooter.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  6. #26
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    I appreciate it everybody, but this isn't the first and only doctor to tell me this, and this one I at least know hunts in his spare time.

    Yeah I mean the news could be worse, it really could be. Just that exposure to, and handling of, lead puts me in the 87%+ range of cancer return. Exposure to external forms of testosterone (such as in treatments and supplements) puts me in the 98%+ range of return, so.... yeah... It could be a whole lot worse, it could be a guarantee it is going to come back no matter what. Thankfully that isn't the case.

    I'm still going to be around the board, etc. I just have to make some changes, and once I can get myself to do it I'll get rid of what I can so nobody else is burdened with it, and we aren't stumbling over it. A few things I already know I am going to be gifting to some buddies, a very few I can't bear to let go of, and the rest will be sold off.

    My Lee Loader sets for 45lc, 45-70 are examples of what is staying. They won't take up much space in storage, and if I ever get an all clear I will have them. If I don't it won't be a big burden for somebody to sell 'em 20-30 years down the road if I'm gone by then. Almost all the bullet molds are headed out of here ASAP. There's one I can think of offhand that isn't, but only because it's hanging around until a buddy can come pick it up. I want him to have it, so... Alot of brass, and I mean a whole lot of brass is probably going to the sell pile unless somebody local wants it. Stuff like that.

    *sigh* It's just hard to do. I spent alot of time collecting stuff, workin' on loads, shootin'..... But in the end it will all work out I'm sure of it. Besides which 2/3 of it all are the memories which were really really good ones. Heck alot of the guns some of this stuff was for were sold off between mine and my wife's cancer bouts. Still a couple around I wouldn't mind sellin' someday maybe if the right hunter came along and wanted or needed one. I dunno.

    Yeah goin' back to the old 20 isn't punishment at all. At least I've got that much.

    God Bless, and One Love.

    GoodOlBoy
    Yes I can be long winded. Yes I follow rabbit trails. Yes I admit when I am wrong. Your mileage may vary.

    Keep your powder dry. Watch yer Top knot.

    "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!"

    Yes there were "Short" 45 Colts! http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/45_short_colt.htm

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by MT Gianni View Post
    When I have looked at the side effects of lead poisoning cancer has never been mentioned. I would get a second opinion and ask around to see a DR that is a shooter.

    If you are in California you are in danger of getting cancer from anything having a trace of lead associated with it. The warning is on plumbing parts and the State of California knows it is a danger. They know it
    Quis Quis Quis, Quis Liberat Canes

    /////////BREAKING NEWS////////////
    Millions and millions of American shooters and sportsmen got up, went to work, contributed to society in useful and meaningful ways all over the nation and shot no one today! How do they controll themselves?? Experts Baffled....


    I LIKE IKE

  8. #28
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    Sorry to hear about your situation. I’ve been having lead problems myself. If you do decide to continue and already have a bunch of cast boolits, maybe someone can powder coat them for you. Be careful about de-priming and keep out of indoor ranges. My philosophy has always been, “you regret more what you didn’t do, than what you did do”. But that’s just me.

  9. #29
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    Good ol boy unless you eating while you are loading you should not get lead. Washing hands with soap and water drying on paper towels. More than 58 years loading plus working on all sorts of machinery my lead level barely moves meter. Get a second opinion from a different doctor.

  10. #30
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    Just EXACTLY what is the doctor saying?

    Is he saying your lead levels are too high ? Or is he saying there's something wrong with you and he thinks reducing your lead exposure is a good idea?

    Unless you're in your 30's with very high lead levels I think something else is going to kill you before the lead exposure from reloading is going to do you in.

  11. #31
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    As a worst case scenario if you do decide not to handle your reloading components any longer, why not try to find an interested young shooter (maybe through your nearest gun club?) that could come over to your place and do the "grunt" reloading work for you in exchange for your mentoring and the use of your equipment. He (or she) could load you some ammunition plus load some for themselves and learn in the process. Just a thought ...
    I may have passed my "Best Before" date, but I haven't reached my "Expiry" date!

  12. #32
    Boolit Master slim1836's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Reverend Al View Post
    As a worst case scenario if you do decide not to handle your reloading components any longer, why not try to find an interested young shooter (maybe through your nearest gun club?) that could come over to your place and do the "grunt" reloading work for you in exchange for your mentoring and the use of your equipment. He (or she) could load you some ammunition plus load some for themselves and learn in the process. Just a thought ...
    This... BUT, I do get out towards Longview quite a bit and might just be able to take some of that off your hands if you're not too far away.

    Slim
    JUST GOTTA LOVE THIS JOINT.

  13. #33
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    Thing is pure lead is pretty non reactive... people carry bullets around in their bodies for life for example. It is lead oxides and organic lead that are the dangers...

  14. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by MaryB View Post
    J-words should be fine. Start with new brass to eliminate led hanging in it. Unless you have had elevated lead levels I think you ran into an anti gun doc!
    Correct...your doctor is ignorant or anti-gun. If you want to reload and shoot get another opinion. If you want an excuse to quit, nothing wrong with hanging it up if that is what you want.

    Not trying to be a jerk, but if you are serious about wanting to reload, do not give up.

    I am very lucky that my primary care doctors is a competitive shooter and reloader. They are out there.

    Whatever you do, I hope it works out for you.
    Don Verna


  15. #35
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    Cool went through the lead scare thing my self,

    My condolences, on dealing with the C word,, lost so many family and friends to it, my best wishes for you on keeping it in remission,

    had a chronic fatigue thing that never did get figured out, but while going through all the blood tests ect, my doc brought up heavy metals, since where I work uses a lot of cobalt chromium /zircon ect, they tested me for heavy metals/ect, but not lead, when everything came back neg, in the conversation with the nurse that fills out stuff now days, before the doc ever shows up, I mentioned what came out on the metals, she said nothing, actually low, and I said what about lead, she looked and nothing was covered, then all of a sudden she went on and on how dangerous lead was, sounded like a liberal idiot on how bad the stuff was, well, finally when doc came in , discussed about testing for lead, him being a shooter too, he was open to the possiblilty, so he ordered that blood test, 3wks later, go to see what came out, that nurse was just sure as hell, that , that had to be the problem, that lead is sooooo dangerous, well pulled up the lab result and the kids mouth hit the floor, and I ended up restarting the conversation, and said, so, what is it, it that bad or what, she kept going on and on there has to be a mistake, finally I said, what came back, lab said trace amounts, much lower than average for the area, (guess we have a lot of natural lead, since we have so much radon that comes up in the ground around here), so doc sees it, and goes interesting, want to try again and see if it stays low, so he orders the test again, and it came back the same, and he threw his hands up, saying you probably handle it everyday don't ya, well, yes, , and he came back about how he had a much higher number, in the teens, you have nothing, just a trace, not enough to get on the scale, so the lead issue became a non issue, at least for me,
    best one of the month,

    about unique and IMR unequal, They really did duplicate it, made it equally unobtainable

  16. #36
    Boolit Master
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    The answer may be as simple as finding another doctor.
    There is little chance of exposure if you wear nitrile rubber gloves like the Hardy gloves from Harbor Freight.
    EDG

  17. #37
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    Find out what the actual numbers are. Take all the precautions for 3 months and test again before giving up. Or do nothing for 3 months ans see if there is a change. Them boolits ain't the only lead out there !
    Good luck on you either way, friend !

  18. #38
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    This doctor "Gives you the look?" To most doctors a bullet is a bullet is a bullet. B.S. Just a blanket "look" on something he knows nothing about, ok, next patient. I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis last spring by a "Specialist". When I told my doctor my workouts with weights he told me to stop the barbell deadlifts, so I did and cut way back on my weight training through the summer and my back still hurt. So I figured if my back was going to hurt anyway that I could choose to ache and be weak or ache and be strong. I chose strength and began my weight training again as before. After almost two months my back pain is nearly gone and I'm gaining strength almost back to my previous gains. In other words doctors don't know everything and sometimes use blanket recommendations when they don't know anything else. Get another opinion.

  19. #39
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    I don't know what you reload caliberwise but Sierra Match King bullets have no exposed lead at all.

  20. #40
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    Nothing I learned in medical school or since identified lead as a cause of cancer. Toxic effects yes, carcinogenic effects no.

    Now, I'm retired and don't keep up with the medical literature, and my patients when I was seeing them weren't expected to develop tumors from environmental exposures at their ages (pediatrics), so maybe I missed something. I'm curious what your MD was referring to specifically.

    Anyway, wet tumbled brass, "green" primers without lead styphnate, TMJ/plated or sintered/solid copper projectiles and not shooting indoors would bring your lead exposure down tremendously. I don't know if that would be enough for you or your doc. Only you can decide what risk you want to take, but I would hope that you will have complete and accurate information to base that decision on.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check